Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an airborne drone launch apparatus for launching and recovering unmanned aircraft or drones, and in particular to apparatus for launching drones from aircraft and for using the apparatus for recovering drones subsequent flights of the drones.
Description of the Prior Art
Launching and retrieving small manned aircraft from an aircraft has been tried many times in the past, mostly unsuccessfully. Later, aircraft configured to do this became obsolete as jet engines became more fuel efficient while providing far more thrust, thus eliminating the need for short range protective fighter aircraft to be carried. These attempts depended on the smaller aircraft primarily used a hook type means to attach to the parent or carrier aircraft. A prime example of this is the “parasite aircraft” called the Goblin. The hook of the “parasite aircraft” engages a trapeze suspended under the parent aircraft, and is then retracted into the belly of the carrier aircraft, hereafter called the carrier or carrier aircraft.
Other systems used complex unfolding and extending frames to launch and retrieve the smaller aircraft. These attempted to launch the smaller airplane as far as possible from the carrier, outside the turbulent air around the parent. The Goblin failed exactly because of this turbulence, where it was extremely difficult to align the hook with the bar of the “trapeze” while flying in the turbulent slipstream and prop wash of the carrier aircraft. The pilot was nearly killed in the attempt to reattach to the carrier when the Goblin impacted the trapeze bar as it (the Goblin) bobbed up and down in the turbulent airflow below the carrier. Larger aircraft were launched and retrieved primarily under the carrier's center of lift because, to do otherwise would cause the carrier to become unbalanced, perhaps outside of its safe limit on center of lift movement.
Other methods, for lighter than airships the larger ones could actually have slow aircraft take off and land on its upper surface, while others utilized the trapeze method to launch and recover aircraft underneath. Some examples of carrier aircraft for launching and recovering manned aircraft are the following U.S. Airforce aircraft: F84E carried underneath a bomber, XF84 carried underneath a bomber, F84 underneath B50 bomber and Arado E381 carried by the Ar234.